Name: Adeline Barousse Age: 17 Gender: Female Occupation: Maid under the King Social Class: Third Estate Financial situation: Gets enough money to support all family members (is the most loved maid under the king, so receives a good amount of money); Because she only has one son and one husband to support, she can spend some money for herself (once in a while <rarely> ); Owes land/building (debt).
Appearance: Neat, skinny (but not scrawny), saturated blue eyes, slightly wavy blonde hair. Dresses like a noble (with the clothes often given by the king; however her family doesn't dress like this).
Location(Map of France, Map of Paris): Must be in the Paris region. Habitual locations: (where are you found most of the time?) Palace of Versailles (King's palace) where she works. However she lives in a small cottage surrounded by hills (that have many trees). The cottage is only 5 minutes from the castle (and was also provided by the king).
Daily routine: (typical day for you)
-Being the king's favorite maid, Adeline doesn't do much when she goes to the King's palace to work. -She does easy things such as massaging the King at times that he needs massaging and picking out the King's clothes day after day. (She works from 10AM-6PM) -As soon as Adeline returns home she cooks dinner for her son, Bebé (eats lunch by himself) and her husband (who also comes back home around 6:00). Personality/Quirks/Unique Personality Traits: Adeline is very concerned about her looks in public. Because the king favored Adeline a lot, he gave her luxurious clothes, which made Adeline look almost as if she were the queen herself. Adeline is a bit self absorbed and is rude to people who she assumes to be "poor" (even though she is not rich herself). Past/individual-family history: When Adeline's mother figured out that her husband was having affairs with many other women, she divorced her husband. Adeline was just 3 then. However, at the age 6, Adeline's mother had passed away, leaving the young Adeline to live a solitary life. She was sent to a nearby orphanage by the French king, but at the age 10, Adeline married to an author that she met outside of the orphanage while going for a walk. When she got married, the French king offered Adeline to work as his maid in his castle, and so, she gladly accepted the job offer.
Family: (spouse? siblings?...) :
Adeline is an only child.
Alexandra Petit (Mom)
Alexander Barousse (Dad)
Adrien Dubois (husband; 2years older; pretty famous author)
Bebé Dubois (son)
Social relations with your own and other classes (people you deal with or know about in the class, AND your opinions and feelings about them):
Adeline kind of degrades the people of her own class, unless they dress well like her and seem to be a little higher in class than what they really are. She doesn't understand the idea and concept of friendship, so she has no friends. Religion: Catholic Education: Never really got education except a little bit at the orphanage. Adeline could speak fluently, however, her reading and writing were not as good (her writing sounded like those of a 1st grader).
Languages you speak:
French and a bit of Russian. Main privileges and/or hardships: Because Adeline is favored so much by the King and is the only maid that was provided with a cottage and clothes, there are a lot scandalous news about her and the king having had an affair. Especially because the queen has spread rumors about her having seen the King and Adeline having an affair.
Portrait (find one online and paste it in):
Diary Entry #1
Dear Diary,
(July 12th, 1789) Today the strangest thing happened to me. I talked to a filthy peasant. Well, I guess I'm not that much better myself because I'm from the third estate, but come on, I know I'm different. I've got something called "class." But, that's not the worst part, the worst part is that I was talking to a thief! Well, I wasn't intending to talk to her of course, but she stepped on my pinky toe in the Armourer's shop! I was really mad at her first, but, I just had to tell her my story.
She was looking at me as if I was some crazy lady who had an affair with the King! Just because of those stupid scandals going on about me and the King having an affair. I had to tell her the truth. The truth about how I was raped by the King, which was the reason I was joining the revolt to make the German cavalry surrender in the first place. I needed to show the people that I didn't like the King, that I was not intending for an affair to happen. I know that I shouldn't have been joining the revolt because the King was still providing me with clothes and money and also because I'm the only maid that gets paid and dismissed after working, but, I just had to. This whole scandal is ruining my life! My husband doesn't even talk to me anymore, the Queen is always glaring at me every time I enter the palace for another work day, the Queen is spending even more of “OUR” money for her own good because she is depressed about what she has seen of me and the King, and better yet people look at me as some kind of mad woman. They even look down on me nowadays. I don't deserve that kind of treatment! I'm beautiful and I know it, I dress properly, unlike anyone from my class, and it's not my fault that the King adores me.
So, about the thief that I met today, she was unique. Her name was Éponine Thénardier. She lives in Paris, so, I’m guessing that coming to Place Louis XV wouldn’t have been that hard of a job for Éponine. I traveled way more than her because Place Louis XV is in Paris and I live in Versailes. But then again, I'm a robust woman, and Éponine’s not. In fact, she was plump woman, but feeble looking at the same time...Anyways, she somehow figured out that this revolt was going to happen. I could see that she was a very strong willed person. She told me about how the taxes that were forced on by the French monarch, made her life too hard to live. She told me that she couldn't support her family anymore. She said that she wanted a change in her life. She wanted her life to improve. She seemed desperate even. I was willing to hear more of her story, but because she was a thief I could no longer talk to her. She was ruining my reputation as an opulent lady, in many ways in front of many people (mainly because we were the only ones talking in the Armourer's shop, while everyone else was getting armed; we were noticeable for sure). I, Adeline Barousse is not to only look fabulous, but, also act fabulous. People like me shouldn’t be talking to people like Éponine. So, I just told her that I couldn't talk with her anymore and quickly left the Armourer’s shop.
As I went outside, the air felt somewhat different. People weren't throwing stones anymore. Everyone was armed, but, the fighting had stopped. I figured out that the German cavalry had already surrendered. This was a spectacular event to see! I know I only joined the revolt to show people of my class that I don't support and love the King, and never intended to have an “affair ” (as people would call it) with him, but, after seeing that the German cavalry had surrendered, my reasons for joining the revolt changed. I realized that I don't need the King to support me anymore, I can bring him down, and I can live an even better life! I can find a new job and I'll be wealthy. I know it's going to be hard, but by seeing the capabilities of the people of my class today and the Tennis Court Oath (in which the people from the my/third estate declared themselves as the “National Assembly”), I thought once again. But, just until I reach this goal, I am going to be extra nice to the King, so that he won't know that I betrayed him. I mean, I still need look wealthy until actual wealth seeks me! I'm Adeline Barousse! It is now night, as I’m writing this diary, and I am grasping onto a bludgeon going up and down the streets of Paris, trying to achieve my goal.
Diary Entry #2 -King goes to Austria (the night before king leaves is where this diary entry will take place here) -King talks about how he will dress up and go to Austria and my partner and I will hear that -Jacobins are thinking of republic -Many Emigrés (nobles) leaving the country
Dear Diary, (June 12th, 1791) Today in the morning I ran into Cosette Blanc. She's another maid that works in the castle with me, but, she takes care of the dirty old horses. I absolutely despise her because she's such a goodie two shoes. She acts super nice in front of the King. Despite all of this, however, I know that King doesn't really like her. Anyways, she bumped into me today and she made me drop all the King's cloths that I was barely grasping onto. It was the King's wardrobe for today and I was supposed to deliver it to the King. She didn't even help me pick up the clothes, instead, she told me to watch where I was going. Ugh... I really wanted to pull off her disgusting brown hair at that moment. But then all of sudden she apologized. I think she only apologized because of the eyes of the castle. It was a big place, but, there were many guards. Right then, there was a loud shriek coming from the King’s main room. The sound of the King’s everyday complaints always interested me in a way. Next thing I knew, I was in front ot the the door trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. The gap between the door was too small, so, I couldn’t see anything. Instead, I tried to listen to the King’s conversation. I heard something about “Émigrés” and dressing up. However, Cosette quickly snapped at me telling me to get back a bit because eavesdropping was strictly forbidden within the palace grounds. I could clearly see that Cosette was kind of eavesdropping too, but, I didn't say a word. We then stared at each other, waiting for one or the other to talk. I was a bit confused at what was going on at first, but, I could tell that Cosette surely knew what was going on. Cosette was smarter than I and she knew the outside world better. So, she explained to me what was going on, one by one. She made me feel extremely dumb, but, I just had to figure out what the King was hiding from me...
Cosette said that there were Émigrés that were fleeing France in hopes of the Revolution to end. Apparently, the nobles didn’t like the actions the Third Estate were taking. The King was trying to join this Émigré group tonight and flee to Austria until the Revolution placated! This news shocked me a lot because through all of that in which the King had made me suffer. He was being a coward.The terrible scandals between us that he never managed to stop, he was going to burden me with all of that, and just flee to Austria! I knew I had to do something. I assured myself that I was completely against the King, and tonight was the night that I officially decided to live like the people from my estate. I was going to go against the King, regardless of what the King sees of me. I looked into Cosette’s eyes with horror. I think she knew the feeling that I was going through, I could see it in her eyes. At that moment, I could feel a small tinge of friendship forming between the two of us. But still, because of the pain that I was processing in my brain, I let out a small squeal. Just then, the King’s secretary came out, and Cosette and I stood there gaping at him. He questioned whether or not we were eavesdropping and we nodded as if nothing of such happened. The secretary then went off with Cosette and they were to deal with whatever they had to deal with.
As the evening approached, another shriek from the King echoed down the hallway. But, this time it was more jubilant. I scurried up the hallway and peaked into the King’s room one more time. This time I could get a glimpse of what was going on. The King was telling Lady Antoinette, or as I would call Antty (for her disgustingness that reminds me of ants), about the plan that they would use to escape the castle. He and Antty were going to dress up as servants of the castle and sneak their way out of the castle. At first I doubted that this plan would work, but, I had no time to doubt. I went down to tell all the guards from the palace and told them what was about to happen. Soon enough the guards were sending out other guards to go warn the guards of the Paris borderline. I knew I had done a good job.
Then later on that day, I heard the news of King Louis’s arrest. He and Mary Antoinette were trying to leave the state in debt and take the easy way out by leaving the country! He was a weak leader and did whatever he desired, so, people decided that he was to be executed.King Louis XVI was to be beheaded by the Guillotine for trying to escape, yet alone abandon his country. This shocked me with horror at first, but, I didn’t think that it was nearly as bad as what King Louis was going to do to me. How was I to live with the scandals of the King and I having an affair? I did what was the best for me, and I still don’t repent on my decision. I thought and think that King Louis XVI deserves a retribution!
Diary Entry #3 (November 22nd, 1800) Dear Diary, the Revolution has finally settled down! After King Louis XVI was beheaded 9 years ago, France was lacking a firm leader. That was what the people from my estate craved for. But, not having had a leader for such a long time, we didn’t know where to begin! France was a republic now and Robspierre was kind of like our temporary leader. Also, we basically had our freedom, except for the fact that Robspierre was beheading people with the Guillotine. Other then that, France was in peaceful state. What more was there to ask? But, this state of happiness only lasted for so long. We, the citizens of France, lacked a government that would protect our rights and make sure that people weren’t committing any crimes. There weren’t any set of rules, so, France was in chaos.
This was all just before Napoleon came into the palace as one of the first consuls. He declared himself leader of the country. The people of France didn’t really mind Napoleon at first because we all knew that we were in a very bad state. We didn’t think that anything bad could possibly happen, and nothing did. Everything went well until, Napoleon forced all the maids/servants of the castle to leave. I was really shocked at first. I thought of losing my one and only job. I couldn’t depend on my husband, he barely made any money! I also had to support my son, Bebé. This was just until Napoleon called me aside and told me to stay in the castle. Why? I still don’t know, but I’m guessing that it’s because I’m very attractive. King Louis liked me, why couldn’t Napoleon?
Anyways, with Napoleon as the new leader, there were better changes made in France. Judging by all the great changes Napoleon was making, the Third Estate people had a plebiscite. This was a meeting where we got to vote whether or not Napolean should be the one to conduct the future of France to further success. I said “Oui,” the French term for yes, because I knew that Napoleon actually had the potential of re-forming France. I knew that other people voted for Napoleon to stay in power too, because everyone was exchanging winks at each other and nodding as if having had consented to the cause. Sure enough, the majority did vote for Napoleon because people knew that they needed a powerful leader that would help reinforce the torn down France.
A couple of days after the voting, Napoleon had created a National Banking System. This helped both the government get the money they needed to reconstruct France, and helped the citizens of France worry less about money problems. People would deposit money in the bank and the bank would take care of that money until the people came back to withdraw the money. How the banking system really worked, I’m still not sure, but, it worked in a way that was fair to everyone. Another thing that Napoleon had created were lycées, which were public schools. This alter excited me the most, because now, there was a way in educating my little, Bebé! Bebé lacked knowledge for his age, just like me! I’m not as smart as other people because I’ve never actually been educated, but, I don’t want Bebé to turn out like me. I want him to do better with his life. So, as soon as I heard the news about the lycées, I quickly went to the palace entrance to sign Bebé up. There was a large signing sheet filled with names of people who wanted their children to enroll in the lycées. Next to that large signing sheet was another large sheet. That sheet was for creating a bank account in the National Bank. I had to fill my name up in both sheets, but, doing that was an extremely difficult task. I had to scooch my way in through the crowd and get to the signing sheet. It’s just that my plans didn’t go accordingly. There was this filthy old man giving me a look everywhere I went. He was slightly grinning, which made me feel sick. I tried to ignore him and kept on swarming through the crowd trying to get to the sign up sheets. On the way however, I tripped on someone and nearly fell down, but, just then, someone held me tight to their chest, preventing me from falling. I quickly looked up to see who it was, just to figure that it was that old man staring at me. I gasped and thanked him immediately. I tried to run away, but, I just couldn’t. I wanted to know why he came here. See, that’s the thing about me these days, I always want to meddle into someone else’s business, especially when I meet someone coincidentally.
So, I asked. I asked the man, what his name was. He replied “Gautier Boucher” in a manner ever so gentle. Then I questioned him on why he was here. Gautier told me that he heard the news about the marvelous changes happening in Paris. He told me that he was going to sign up for creating a bank account in the National Bank. Then, he continued with his tedious story about his poor peasant life. Right then, two guards came out of the palace to announce that Napoleon had designed a code called the Napoleonic code, which got rid of inequality and injustice in France. However, equality for women wasn't going to happen any time soon. But, because Napolean was still improving France in many great ways and keeping France in a tranquil state, there was still wild cheer going on in the crowd. Everyone, including Gautier and I accepted and adored Napoleon, and that’s when I knew that this revolution was going to be the start of something superior. Overall, I think that this revolution served a great interest in me because I was engaged in the Revolution and seeked for major changes just like everyone else from my estate. Starting from the Tennis Court Oath, all the way up to signing up for public school and bank accounts, I can already see the bright future ahead of us. Now that everything is going the way I intended it to and because the Revolution has settled down, I will stop writing in this diary from now on. I, Adeline Barousse have a better life to live!
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Occupation: Maid under the King
Social Class: Third Estate
Financial situation: Gets enough money to support all family members (is the most loved maid under the king, so receives a good amount of money); Because she only has one son and one husband to support, she can spend some money for herself (once in a while <rarely> ); Owes land/building (debt).
Appearance: Neat, skinny (but not scrawny), saturated blue eyes, slightly wavy blonde hair. Dresses like a noble (with the clothes often given by the king; however her family doesn't dress like this).Location (Map of France, Map of Paris ): Must be in the Paris region.
Habitual locations: (where are you found most of the time?) Palace of Versailles (King's palace) where she works. However she lives in a small cottage surrounded by hills (that have many trees). The cottage is only 5 minutes from the castle (and was also provided by the king).
Daily routine: (typical day for you)
-Being the king's favorite maid, Adeline doesn't do much when she goes to the King's palace to work.-She does easy things such as massaging the King at times that he needs massaging and picking out the King's clothes day after day. (She works from 10AM-6PM)
-As soon as Adeline returns home she cooks dinner for her son, Bebé (eats lunch by himself) and her husband (who also comes back home around 6:00).
Personality/Quirks/Unique Personality Traits: Adeline is very concerned about her looks in public. Because the king favored Adeline a lot, he gave her luxurious clothes, which made Adeline look almost as if she were the queen herself. Adeline is a bit self absorbed and is rude to people who she assumes to be "poor" (even though she is not rich herself).
Past/individual-family history: When Adeline's mother figured out that her husband was having affairs with many other women, she divorced her husband. Adeline was just 3 then. However, at the age 6, Adeline's mother had passed away, leaving the young Adeline to live a solitary life. She was sent to a nearby orphanage by the French king, but at the age 10, Adeline married to an author that she met outside of the orphanage while going for a walk. When she got married, the French king offered Adeline to work as his maid in his castle, and so, she gladly accepted the job offer.
Family: (spouse? siblings?...) :
Adeline is an only child.Alexandra Petit (Mom)
Alexander Barousse (Dad)
Adrien Dubois (husband; 2years older; pretty famous author)
Bebé Dubois (son)
Social relations with your own and other classes (people you deal with or know about in the class, AND your opinions and feelings about them):
Adeline kind of degrades the people of her own class, unless they dress well like her and seem to be a little higher in class than what they really are. She doesn't understand the idea and concept of friendship, so she has no friends.Religion: Catholic
Education: Never really got education except a little bit at the orphanage. Adeline could speak fluently, however, her reading and writing were not as good (her writing sounded like those of a 1st grader).
Languages you speak:
French and a bit of Russian.Main privileges and/or hardships: Because Adeline is favored so much by the King and is the only maid that was provided with a cottage and clothes, there are a lot scandalous news about her and the king having had an affair. Especially because the queen has spread rumors about her having seen the King and Adeline having an affair.
Portrait (find one online and paste it in):
Diary Entry #1Dear Diary,
(July 12th, 1789) Today the strangest thing happened to me. I talked to a filthy peasant. Well, I guess I'm not that much better myself because I'm from the third estate, but come on, I know I'm different. I've got something called "class." But, that's not the worst part, the worst part is that I was talking to a thief! Well, I wasn't intending to talk to her of course, but she stepped on my pinky toe in the Armourer's shop! I was really mad at her first, but, I just had to tell her my story.
She was looking at me as if I was some crazy lady who had an affair with the King! Just because of those stupid scandals going on about me and the King having an affair. I had to tell her the truth. The truth about how I was raped by the King, which was the reason I was joining the revolt to make the German cavalry surrender in the first place. I needed to show the people that I didn't like the King, that I was not intending for an affair to happen. I know that I shouldn't have been joining the revolt because the King was still providing me with clothes and money and also because I'm the only maid that gets paid and dismissed after working, but, I just had to. This whole scandal is ruining my life! My husband doesn't even talk to me anymore, the Queen is always glaring at me every time I enter the palace for another work day, the Queen is spending even more of “OUR” money for her own good because she is depressed about what she has seen of me and the King, and better yet people look at me as some kind of mad woman. They even look down on me nowadays. I don't deserve that kind of treatment! I'm beautiful and I know it, I dress properly, unlike anyone from my class, and it's not my fault that the King adores me.
So, about the thief that I met today, she was unique. Her name was Éponine Thénardier. She lives in Paris, so, I’m guessing that coming to Place Louis XV wouldn’t have been that hard of a job for Éponine. I traveled way more than her because Place Louis XV is in Paris and I live in Versailes. But then again, I'm a robust woman, and Éponine’s not. In fact, she was plump woman, but feeble looking at the same time...Anyways, she somehow figured out that this revolt was going to happen. I could see that she was a very strong willed person. She told me about how the taxes that were forced on by the French monarch, made her life too hard to live. She told me that she couldn't support her family anymore. She said that she wanted a change in her life. She wanted her life to improve. She seemed desperate even. I was willing to hear more of her story, but because she was a thief I could no longer talk to her. She was ruining my reputation as an opulent lady, in many ways in front of many people (mainly because we were the only ones talking in the Armourer's shop, while everyone else was getting armed; we were noticeable for sure). I, Adeline Barousse is not to only look fabulous, but, also act fabulous. People like me shouldn’t be talking to people like Éponine. So, I just told her that I couldn't talk with her anymore and quickly left the Armourer’s shop.
As I went outside, the air felt somewhat different. People weren't throwing stones anymore. Everyone was armed, but, the fighting had stopped. I figured out that the German cavalry had already surrendered. This was a spectacular event to see! I know I only joined the revolt to show people of my class that I don't support and love the King, and never intended to have an “affair ” (as people would call it) with him, but, after seeing that the German cavalry had surrendered, my reasons for joining the revolt changed. I realized that I don't need the King to support me anymore, I can bring him down, and I can live an even better life! I can find a new job and I'll be wealthy. I know it's going to be hard, but by seeing the capabilities of the people of my class today and the Tennis Court Oath (in which the people from the my/third estate declared themselves as the “National Assembly”), I thought once again. But, just until I reach this goal, I am going to be extra nice to the King, so that he won't know that I betrayed him. I mean, I still need look wealthy until actual wealth seeks me! I'm Adeline Barousse! It is now night, as I’m writing this diary, and I am grasping onto a bludgeon going up and down the streets of Paris, trying to achieve my goal.
Diary Entry #2
-King goes to Austria (the night before king leaves is where this diary entry will take place here)
-King talks about how he will dress up and go to Austria and my partner and I will hear that
-Jacobins are thinking of republic
-Many Emigrés (nobles) leaving the country
Dear Diary,
(June 12th, 1791) Today in the morning I ran into Cosette Blanc. She's another maid that works in the castle with me, but, she takes care of the dirty old horses. I absolutely despise her because she's such a goodie two shoes. She acts super nice in front of the King. Despite all of this, however, I know that King doesn't really like her. Anyways, she bumped into me today and she made me drop all the King's cloths that I was barely grasping onto. It was the King's wardrobe for today and I was supposed to deliver it to the King. She didn't even help me pick up the clothes, instead, she told me to watch where I was going. Ugh... I really wanted to pull off her disgusting brown hair at that moment. But then all of sudden she apologized. I think she only apologized because of the eyes of the castle. It was a big place, but, there were many guards. Right then, there was a loud shriek coming from the King’s main room. The sound of the King’s everyday complaints always interested me in a way. Next thing I knew, I was in front ot the the door trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. The gap between the door was too small, so, I couldn’t see anything. Instead, I tried to listen to the King’s conversation. I heard something about “Émigrés” and dressing up. However, Cosette quickly snapped at me telling me to get back a bit because eavesdropping was strictly forbidden within the palace grounds. I could clearly see that Cosette was kind of eavesdropping too, but, I didn't say a word. We then stared at each other, waiting for one or the other to talk. I was a bit confused at what was going on at first, but, I could tell that Cosette surely knew what was going on. Cosette was smarter than I and she knew the outside world better. So, she explained to me what was going on, one by one. She made me feel extremely dumb, but, I just had to figure out what the King was hiding from me...
Cosette said that there were Émigrés that were fleeing France in hopes of the Revolution to end. Apparently, the nobles didn’t like the actions the Third Estate were taking. The King was trying to join this Émigré group tonight and flee to Austria until the Revolution placated! This news shocked me a lot because through all of that in which the King had made me suffer. He was being a coward.The terrible scandals between us that he never managed to stop, he was going to burden me with all of that, and just flee to Austria! I knew I had to do something. I assured myself that I was completely against the King, and tonight was the night that I officially decided to live like the people from my estate. I was going to go against the King, regardless of what the King sees of me. I looked into Cosette’s eyes with horror. I think she knew the feeling that I was going through, I could see it in her eyes. At that moment, I could feel a small tinge of friendship forming between the two of us. But still, because of the pain that I was processing in my brain, I let out a small squeal. Just then, the King’s secretary came out, and Cosette and I stood there gaping at him. He questioned whether or not we were eavesdropping and we nodded as if nothing of such happened. The secretary then went off with Cosette and they were to deal with whatever they had to deal with.
As the evening approached, another shriek from the King echoed down the hallway. But, this time it was more jubilant. I scurried up the hallway and peaked into the King’s room one more time. This time I could get a glimpse of what was going on. The King was telling Lady Antoinette, or as I would call Antty (for her disgustingness that reminds me of ants), about the plan that they would use to escape the castle. He and Antty were going to dress up as servants of the castle and sneak their way out of the castle. At first I doubted that this plan would work, but, I had no time to doubt. I went down to tell all the guards from the palace and told them what was about to happen. Soon enough the guards were sending out other guards to go warn the guards of the Paris borderline. I knew I had done a good job.
Then later on that day, I heard the news of King Louis’s arrest. He and Mary Antoinette were trying to leave the state in debt and take the easy way out by leaving the country! He was a weak leader and did whatever he desired, so, people decided that he was to be executed.King Louis XVI was to be beheaded by the Guillotine for trying to escape, yet alone abandon his country.
This shocked me with horror at first, but, I didn’t think that it was nearly as bad as what King Louis was going to do to me. How was I to live with the scandals of the King and I having an affair? I did what was the best for me, and I still don’t repent on my decision. I thought and think that King Louis XVI deserves a retribution!
Diary Entry #3
(November 22nd, 1800) Dear Diary, the Revolution has finally settled down! After King Louis XVI was beheaded 9 years ago, France was lacking a firm leader. That was what the people from my estate craved for. But, not having had a leader for such a long time, we didn’t know where to begin! France was a republic now and Robspierre was kind of like our temporary leader. Also, we basically had our freedom, except for the fact that Robspierre was beheading people with the Guillotine. Other then that, France was in peaceful state. What more was there to ask? But, this state of happiness only lasted for so long. We, the citizens of France, lacked a government that would protect our rights and make sure that people weren’t committing any crimes. There weren’t any set of rules, so, France was in chaos.
This was all just before Napoleon came into the palace as one of the first consuls. He declared himself leader of the country. The people of France didn’t really mind Napoleon at first because we all knew that we were in a very bad state. We didn’t think that anything bad could possibly happen, and nothing did. Everything went well until, Napoleon forced all the maids/servants of the castle to leave. I was really shocked at first. I thought of losing my one and only job. I couldn’t depend on my husband, he barely made any money! I also had to support my son, Bebé. This was just until Napoleon called me aside and told me to stay in the castle. Why? I still don’t know, but I’m guessing that it’s because I’m very attractive. King Louis liked me, why couldn’t Napoleon?
Anyways, with Napoleon as the new leader, there were better changes made in France. Judging by all the great changes Napoleon was making, the Third Estate people had a plebiscite. This was a meeting where we got to vote whether or not Napolean should be the one to conduct the future of France to further success. I said “Oui,” the French term for yes, because I knew that Napoleon actually had the potential of re-forming France. I knew that other people voted for Napoleon to stay in power too, because everyone was exchanging winks at each other and nodding as if having had consented to the cause. Sure enough, the majority did vote for Napoleon because people knew that they needed a powerful leader that would help reinforce the torn down France.
A couple of days after the voting, Napoleon had created a National Banking System. This helped both the government get the money they needed to reconstruct France, and helped the citizens of France worry less about money problems. People would deposit money in the bank and the bank would take care of that money until the people came back to withdraw the money. How the banking system really worked, I’m still not sure, but, it worked in a way that was fair to everyone. Another thing that Napoleon had created were lycées, which were public schools. This alter excited me the most, because now, there was a way in educating my little, Bebé! Bebé lacked knowledge for his age, just like me! I’m not as smart as other people because I’ve never actually been educated, but, I don’t want Bebé to turn out like me. I want him to do better with his life. So, as soon as I heard the news about the lycées, I quickly went to the palace entrance to sign Bebé up. There was a large signing sheet filled with names of people who wanted their children to enroll in the lycées. Next to that large signing sheet was another large sheet. That sheet was for creating a bank account in the National Bank. I had to fill my name up in both sheets, but, doing that was an extremely difficult task. I had to scooch my way in through the crowd and get to the signing sheet. It’s just that my plans didn’t go accordingly. There was this filthy old man giving me a look everywhere I went. He was slightly grinning, which made me feel sick. I tried to ignore him and kept on swarming through the crowd trying to get to the sign up sheets. On the way however, I tripped on someone and nearly fell down, but, just then, someone held me tight to their chest, preventing me from falling. I quickly looked up to see who it was, just to figure that it was that old man staring at me. I gasped and thanked him immediately. I tried to run away, but, I just couldn’t. I wanted to know why he came here. See, that’s the thing about me these days, I always want to meddle into someone else’s business, especially when I meet someone coincidentally.
So, I asked. I asked the man, what his name was. He replied “Gautier Boucher” in a manner ever so gentle. Then I questioned him on why he was here. Gautier told me that he heard the news about the marvelous changes happening in Paris. He told me that he was going to sign up for creating a bank account in the National Bank. Then, he continued with his tedious story about his poor peasant life. Right then, two guards came out of the palace to announce that Napoleon had designed a code called the Napoleonic code, which got rid of inequality and injustice in France. However, equality for women wasn't going to happen any time soon. But, because Napolean was still improving France in many great ways and keeping France in a tranquil state, there was still wild cheer going on in the crowd. Everyone, including Gautier and I accepted and adored Napoleon, and that’s when I knew that this revolution was going to be the start of something superior. Overall, I think that this revolution served a great interest in me because I was engaged in the Revolution and seeked for major changes just like everyone else from my estate. Starting from the Tennis Court Oath, all the way up to signing up for public school and bank accounts, I can already see the bright future ahead of us. Now that everything is going the way I intended it to and because the Revolution has settled down, I will stop writing in this diary from now on. I, Adeline Barousse have a better life to live!